This question led me to go check my timing because the passenger floor seemed pretty hot after running the car for a while--right about where that first fat section of exhaust(resonator) sits below. I adjusted it for 23 degrees at 1500RPM but when I drop the idle down to about 850, it doesn't fall to 5-8 as others were saying. It's at about 15 yet. This is with the vacuum line disconnected and plugged. Does this mean there is a problem?
Secondly, I don't notice any vacuum on my vacuum line. Shouldn't I be hearing a hiss if it's not plugged or at least feel suction with my finger on the line? Seems like I have nothing. So I'm assuming there's another problem here?
Finally a question about vacuum advance. As the name says, it's advancing the timing but does that mean that if I have a setting of say 23 degrees with the line off that it will move it to a higher number with it on? Just trying to understand what exactly it's doing. I remember having seeing an old VW bus where the person had replaced the distributor with a non-vacuum one and it still seemed to run ok. So what's the purpose of it?
Thanks for all/any answers provided.